Arsenal are famous around the world for producing future first-team stars and Myles Lewis-Skelly may soon be the next prospect to come off the Hale End production line.
It can be hard to believe at times that Lewis-Skelly is only a youngster, as he plays with such confidence. He is also already on Mikel Arteta’s radar and has featured for Arsenal in the first team.
Arteta used the Gunners’ schedule to run the rule over Lewis-Skelly after he enjoyed an eye-catching junior campaign in 2022/23.
So, who is Lewis-Skelly and just how good is the Arsenal academy prospect? Arsenal Insider takes a look at everything you need to know about the rising star with a bright future ahead.
Who is Myles Lewis-Skelly?
Myles Lewis-Skelly is a player in Arsenal’s academy and joined their famed Hale End set-up aged nine. He is so far yet to play with any other team in the midfielder’s fledgling career.
The Gunners signed Lewis-Skelly to youth terms and have brought him through their ranks. Arsenal rewarded Lewis-Skelly with a new contract in line with his performances with their U18s and U21s in July 2023.
He agreed to sign a fresh scholarship deal keeping him at Hale End through to June 2025. Lewis-Skelly first joined the ranks at Hale End as part of Arsenal’s pre-academy youth side.
His U18 debut would come in May 2021 and his U23s bow later arrived in October 2022. He made the move up to the club’s reserves whilst on schoolboy terms after his 16th birthday.
When was Myles Lewis-Skelly born?
Arsenal gem Myles Lewis-Skelly was born on September 26, 2006, which makes him 17 years old at the time of writing.
He holds dual citizenship between England and Barbados, as well. The prospect can represent either country as he is of Barbadian descent. He has even trained with the senior Barbados national football team as well as the England youth national team.
What position does Myles Lewis-Skelly play?
Myles Lewis-Skelly has spent most of his youth career playing as a midfielder with Arsenal and England. He usually operates from either a central or defensive role but has featured out wide on the right. While sporadic outings at left-back or at centre-half also litter his record.
Arsenal U18 boss Jack Wilshere sought to further Lewis-Skelly’s development in the 22/23 season by giving him appearances in various positions. The former Gunners product and cult hero believed that offering the youngster a changeable role was important to see him grow.
“I think it’s important for him,” Wilshere noted, via The Arsenal Way, in April 2023. “You look at our first-team and the way football is going with the likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko, the full-back has to play inside. I think Myles developing as a left-back will give him experience.”
How good is Myles Lewis-Skelly?
As well as wanting to help Myles Lewis-Skelly develop, Jack Wilshere added after his Arsenal U18 side beat Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup that the midfielder was ‘unplayable’. The youngster leapt to head home the winning goal in the 121st minute of their semi-final clash.
“I don’t think he’s going to be a left-back, by the way, he’ll be a midfielder,” Wilshere added.
“Him and Ethan [Nwaneri], what they do at 16 – let’s remember, Ethan and Myles are a little bit younger – how they’re able to dominate and manage moments in a game and drive a team is impressive.”
Wilshere continued: “You see certain moments that are not coachable. There’s some things that certain players can’t do that only certain others can. But there’s so much more than that, like how he lives. He’s a top kid, by the way, but he has to manage that going forward.”
Lewis-Skelly’s goal against Manchester City followed three assists in the early rounds of the 2022/23 FA Youth Cup. His football IQ is far beyond his years to allow the teenager to dictate games with superb spatial awareness. He is also strong on the ball despite only being 5 ft 8.
First-team manager Mikel Arteta also took Lewis-Skelly to Dubai for Arsenal’s winter training camp in 2023. His comfort in possession with an ability to carry the ball and play a variety of roles can be unbelievable for a player of his age. Lewis-Skelly plays some beautiful passes.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s debut and yellow card incident
Lewis-Skelly made his first-team debut for Arsenal in their chaotic 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in September 2024.
The youngster came off the bench to feature for the Gunners after they were reduced to ten men by referee Michael Oliver.
Rather amusingly though, Lewis-Skelly became the first player to be booked before making their debut in the Premier League, receiving a caution for an incident on the touchline while warming up before he came on.
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